Photo: JOSH EDELSON / AFP / Getty Images
Fire crews faced another grueling day on Wednesday, when the massive Caldor fire went from 200, 000 acres and continued its steady march east toward Nevada.
The head of the fire is now approaching the California and Nevada state line , Raising concerns that it could involve both states.
It is now the 15th largest wildfire in California history, according to records from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
# CaldorFire makes a push in to Meyers as it spots over Highway 50 and down in to Christmas Valley, then spotted over hwy 89 as it pushes towards South Lake Tahoe. @ NorthBayNews pic.twitter.com/lse0TSiclu
– Kent Porter (@kentphotos) August 30, 2021
Firefighters made a total effort Tuesday to defend the Lake Tahoe Basin and were able to protect many of the homes in Christmas Valley and Meyers, while keeping the flames away from the flames. areas south of the popular resort town of South Lake Tahoe, based on Los Angeles Times.
Firefighters even used snow machines that spray water into the air to protect the structures in Sierra-At-Tahoe as the flames approached.
By noon Wednesday, firefighters were facing strong winds and completely dry conditions and were battling airborne embers and rapid outbreaks of flames. Red flag warnings remain over much of the fire area until 11 pm, indicating the possibility of bursts up to 30 mph.
New: # CaldorFire you have crossed Hwy 50 near Echo summit where crews were attempting to make a stand and hold it back from making another hard run.
Fire is headed down mountainside now toward Hwy 89 and Meyers. pic.twitter.com/FHJbGykJ3L
– Scott Rodd (@SRodd_CPR) August 31, 2021
The Caldor Fire in Northern California has spread to 207, 931 acres and is contained to the 23 %, According to the report from Inciweb.
East side of Christmas Valley flaring up with breezy conditions. Map in next tweet for reference # CaldorFire pic.twitter.com/H6TOVfO7i6
– Scott Rodd (@SRodd_CPR) August 31, 2021
California Governor Gavin Newsom called the fire the “No. 1 priority” and said that significant resources were being devoted to combat it, including fire retardant launched by planes, drip-drip helicopters and the deployment of the National Guard.
5K + personnel are on the frontlines of the devastating # CaldorFire that has burned 200 K + acres.
Thanks to law enforcement, evacuations have been successful & no lives have been lost due to these dangerous fires. We owe our gratitude to everyone working tirelessly to protect CA. pic.twitter.com/L6ZvQYWtHw
– Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) September 1, 2021
The governor of Nevada, Steve Sisolak , declared this week a state of emergency “in anticipation of the fire crossing from California to the state of Nevada in the next few days, ”said his office.
Scenes from the # CALDORFIRE @ RenoFireDept resources will be in South Lake Tahoe today working on structure protection. Grateful for and proud of everyone on the front lines. Stay safe! pic.twitter.com/EVY8P2UUth
– David Cochran (@ChiefDave_RFD) September 1, 2021
More than 4 have been assigned,
Evacuation orders have been issued in a wide swath of the area, including South Lake Tahoe and Douglas County in Nevada. New evacuation advisories were issued Wednesday afternoon for parts of Alpine County.
Caldor Fire Information Officer Jason Hunter said that defending the structures remained the top priority for firefighters in the areas evacuated. Almost 31, 000 structures are threatened by fire.
The vast expanse of wildfires that are burning in California was captured by the GOES satellite 17 from NOAA:
WILDFIRE UPDATE: From 17, 550 thousands up, @ NOAA ‘s # GOES 17 🛰️ saw the full extent of the # wildfires blazing across northern California yesterday — including the # CaldorFire , # DixieFire and others. Officials said all California national forests will temporarily close starting tonight. pic.twitter.com / GjegTZNmPX
– NOAA Satellites – Public Affairs ( @NOAASatellitePA) August 30, 2021
The Dixie fire exhibited a behavior of extreme fire and has covered over 50, 000 acres. Several other large fires in California, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington have forced nearby residents to evacuate.
The wildfire season of 2021 is reported to be potentially one of the most active fire seasons to date, and many regions in western North America experience severe droughts and heat waves.
More than 1, 600, 000 Acres in the United States have been affected by wildfires so far this year, according the National Interagency Fire Department.